Nest Labs unveils Learning Thermostat, no programming necessary

Nest Labs has unveiled the Nest Learning Thermostat, billed as the world’s first intelligent thermostat. The product is the first to debut from startup Nest Labs, led by Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. Fadell led the team that created the first 18 generations of the iPod and the first three versions of the iPhone while Rogers was responsible for iPod software development at Apple.

As the name suggests, the Nest Learning Thermostat is designed to intelligently “learn” the behaviors of the user and adjust accordingly. During the first week of use, the customer will set base temperatures using a single dial. Turn the dial up provide heat and down to provide cooling; the thermostat’s display will light up orange and blue, respectively. The Nest will record your initial settings and start to take over after a week or so.

As usage continues, the device is able to fine-tune settings using sensors, algorithms and cloud computing. For example, the unit is able to detect when users have left the house using a motion sensor and will throttle back heating or cooling accordingly. The thermostat also includes an ambient light sensor and will adjust the brightness of the display relative to the surrounding light in the room as to not cause eye strain.

Since this is a “connected” thermostat, it interacts with your Wi-Fi connection and can receive updates over-the-air. Users can also remotely log into the thermostat to control it away from home on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Nest’s thermostat can even check weather conditions for your area on the web and use that data to adjust temperatures accordingly inside the home.

Nest Labs will be launching the Learning Thermostat in mid November for $249. Pre-orders are being taken now and most everything you need to install the unit is included. If you are weary of installing the unit on your own, you can opt for installation service when you order.